1

JABBERWOCKY

STUDENT BOOKLET

By Silvana, Sandra, Marcia

END2a

2

CONTENTS:

Introduction to the lesson

The poem

Classroom activities

Homework activities

Bonus material

3

Introduction

‘Jabberwocky’ is a famous poem by the British writer Lewis Carroll. You may

have heard of Alice in Wonderland, one of his most famous books. This poem he

wrote for another book about Alice, ‘Through the looking glass’. The poem is

like a little story in itself, but there is something strange about it…

Have fun finding out what that is!

Goal of this lesson

The main goal of this lesson is to help you explore this very special poem. By the end of the

activities you’ll be able to:

Explain what’s so special about it

Read a poem with many words that you don’t know

Handle unknown words in a creative way

Enjoy reading a poem that at first may be very puzzling

4

Activity 1. Reading the poem – SLAYING THE HEAD

Jabberwocky by Lewis Caroll

1. ’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.

2. “Beware the Jabberwock, my son!

The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun

The frumious Bandersnatch!”

3. He took his vorpal sword in hand;

Long time the manxome foe he sought—

So rested he by the Tumtum tree

And stood awhile in thought.

4. And, as in uffish thought he stood,

The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,

Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,

And burbled as it came!

5. One, two! One, two! And through and through

The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!

He left it dead, and with its head

He went galumphing back.

6. “And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?

Come to my arms, my beamish boy!

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”

He chortled in his joy.

7. ’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.

We are going to slay the head of the Jabberwocky by exploring the meaning of the poem.

What do you think the poem is about? Why? Discuss in pairs.

5

Activity 2. Let’s watch a video

We will now watch a clip in which the poem is being read. While watching you can

underline any weird or unknown words you come across.........

Link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpKcqraRdfs

Activity 3. What does it all mean???

Now we are going to slay the body of the Jabberwocky. How, you say? Well by

looking at the poem and see, with your neighbour, if you can make out the

meaning of the words that you underlined. What do you think these words

mean?

Below on the left you write down the words that you underlined in the

verses 2 through 6. On the right you write down what you think each word

might mean.

Weird/unknown words

................................................... ....................................................

.................................................. ....................................................

................................................... ....................................................

................................................... ....................................................

................................................... ....................................................

................................................... ....................................................

................................................... ....................................................

................................................... ....................................................

................................................... ....................................................

................................................... ....................................................

................................................... ....................................................

6

................................................... ....................................................

................................................... ....................................................

................................................... ....................................................

................................................... ....................................................

................................................... ....................................................

................................................... ....................................................

................................................... ....................................................

................................................... ....................................................

Activity 4. Share what you have found - SLAYING THE BODY

Now let’s see what everyone has come up with!

7

TAIL

After having slain the head of the Jabberwock (by finding the words that are made up and

seemed senseless) and its body (by deciphering the meaning of the nonsense words and

the poem on the whole), it is now time to slay its tail and put it to rest once and for all!

Activity 5. Interpretation - SLAYING THE TAIL

Watch the following clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbGbU65_Rbg

Did it live up to your own interpretation of the poem?

YES/NO, because:

....................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................. .......................

....................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................. .......................

............................................................................................................................. .......................

....................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................. .......................

....................................................................................................................

YOU DID IT!

YOU DEFEATED THE

JABBERWOCKY!

GREAT JOB

8

As at home activity you have to pick one from the three mentioned below.

Some can be done in groups whereas some are solitary assignments.

OPTION 1: COMIC

Have another look at the text of the poem and create a comic out of it. 1 and 7 serve as an

example and are already done for you.

1.`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe. 2. "Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!" 3. He took his vorpal sword in hand: Long time the manxome foe he sought -- So rested he by the Tumtum tree, And stood awhile in thought. 4. And, as in uffish thought he stood, The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, Came whiffling through the tulgey wood, And burbled as it came! 5. One, two! One, two! And through and through The vorpal blade went snicker-snack! He left it dead, and with its head He went galumphing back. 6. "And, has thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy. 7. `Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe.

9

Twas brillig and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe

All mimsy were the borogoves and the mome raths outgrabe

Twas brillig and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe

All mimsy were the borogoves and the mome raths outgrabe

10

OPTION 2: DRAMA

In groups of no more than four (you may decided to do it solo as well) prepare a drama

presentation of the poem. Marks will be given for preparation, costumes, elocution and

cooperativeness. Deliberate with your teacher about when/ where you will be able to

perform your presentation. The presentation should not exceed ten minutes.

OPTION 3: POETRY

This option gives you the chance to become a poet yourself! Either on your own or with a

classmate you have a go at writing your own poem with nonsense words, just like Lewis

Carroll’s Jabberwocky. Write at least three verses of 4 to 6 lines each, and use your

creativity and imagination to make up your own words. Words that no-one has ever heard

of before but everyone will understand when they read your poem. Type the poem on your

computer, so you can either email it to your teacher or hand in a print-out.

11

BONUS MATERIAL

Who was Lewis Carroll?

Lewis Carroll is the pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (January 27, 1832 – January 14,

1898). He was an English writer, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and

photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, its sequel

Through the Looking-Glass, and the poem The Hunting of the Snark, all examples of the

genre of literary nonsense. He is noted for his facility at word play, logic, and fantasy.

The son of a clergyman, Carroll was the third child born to

a family of eleven children. From a very early age he

entertained himself and his family by performing magic

tricks and marionette shows, and by writing poetry for his

homemade newspapers. As a boy, Charles excelled in

mathematics and won many academic prizes. In 1846 he

entered Rugby School, and in 1854 he graduated from

Christ Church College, Oxford. He was successful in his

study of mathematics and writing, and remained at the

college after graduation to teach. While teaching, Carroll

was ordained as a deacon; however, he never preached. He also began to pursue

photography, often choosing children as the subject of his portraits. One of his favorite

models was a young girl named Alice Liddell, the daughter of the Dean at Christ’s Church,

who later became the basis for Carroll’s fictional character, Alice.

Many of Carroll’s philosophies were based on games. His interest in logic came purely from

the playful nature of its principle rather than its uses as a tool. He primarily wrote comic

fantasies and humorous verse that was often very childlike. Carroll published his novel

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in 1865, followed by Through the Looking Glass in 1872.

Alice’s story began as a piece of extemporaneous whimsy meant to entertain three little

girls on a boating trip in 1862. Both of these works were considered children’s novels that

were satirical in nature and in exemplification of Carroll’s wit. Also famous is Carroll’s poem

“Jabberwocky," in which he created nonsensical words from word combinations.

12

Jabberwocky read by Benedict Cumberbatch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9TTzTU6Lnc

Make your own origami sword

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxLCFhmNrNM

Another Jabberwocky presentation (very expressive by Renee la Tullipe)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGcV33wEGsU

Jabberwocky from Alice Through the Looking Glass (1987) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weoHZPIx1YU

Humpty Dumpty's Explanation

"You seem very clever at explaining words, Sir", said Alice. "Would you kindly tell me the meaning of the poem 'Jabberwocky'?"

"Let's hear it", said Humpty Dumpty. "I can explain all the poems that ever were invented--and a good many that haven't been invented just yet."

This sounded very hopeful, so Alice repeated the first verse:

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe.

"That's enough to begin with", Humpty Dumpty interrupted: "there are plenty of hard words there. 'Brillig' means four o'clock in the afternoon--the time when you begin broiling things for dinner."

"That'll do very well", said Alice: "and 'slithy'?"

"Well, 'slithy' means 'lithe and slimy'. 'Lithe' is the same as 'active'. You see it's like a portmanteau--there are two meanings packed up into one word."

I see it now", Alice remarked thoughfully: "and what are 'toves'?"

"Well, 'toves' are something like badgers--they're something like lizards--and they're something like corkscrews."

"They must be very curious creatures."

13

"They are that", said Humpty Dumpty: "also they make their nests under sun-dials--also they live on cheese."

"And what's to 'gyre' and to 'gimble'?"

"To 'gyre' is to go round and round like a gyroscope. To 'gimble' is to make holes like a gimlet."

"And 'the wabe' is the grass plot round a sun-dial, I suppose?" said Alice, surprised at her own ingenuity.

"Of course it is. It's called 'wabe', you know, because it goes a long way before it, and a long way behind it--"

"And a long way beyond it on each side", Alice added.

"Exactly so. Well then, 'mimsy' is 'flimsy and miserable' (there's another portmanteau for you). And a 'borogove' is a thin shabby-looking bird with its feathers sticking out all round--something like a live mop."

"And then 'mome raths'?" said Alice. "If I'm not giving you too much trouble."

"Well a 'rath' is a sort of green pig, but 'mome' I'm not certain about. I think it's sort for 'from home'--meaning that they'd lost their way, you know."

"And what does 'outgrabe' mean?"

"Well, 'outgribing' is something between bellowing an whistling, with a kind of sneeze in the middle: however, you'll hear it done, maybe--down in the wood yonder--and when you've once heard it, you'll be quite content. Who's been repeating all that hard stuff to you?"

"I read it in a book", said Alice.

--Through The Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll